Feudal Future Podcast: Navigating Cancel Culture

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 15:35:20 -0500

Immerse yourself in a profound conversation with Sam Abrams and Danielle Struppa as we set sail into the stormy seas of cancel culture on American campuses. Ponder on the essence of freedom of expression, the intricacies of offensive language, and the implications of a trending phenomenon that is reshaping societal narratives. We dissect the potential hazards of a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion worldview that's propagated within our educational institutions.

Our discourse takes a turn towards academic freedom, a principle that could be endangered by personal biases. We underscore the urgency for developing critical thinking skills amongst students, fostering a sense of media literacy from an early age to discern divergent viewpoints. Striking a balance in presenting varying perspectives during classroom discussions is deemed crucial, as we delve into the role of administrators in ensuring this practice.

As we navigate the contemporary education landscape, we confront the challenges posed by decreased student attention spans, attributed to the allure of social media, and the need for instilling factual groundwork within the classrooms. A noticeable shift from a traditional academic standpoint to advocacy is scrutinized, with a focus on teaching students to think independently rather than spoon-feeding viewpoints. Listen in as we explore the role of technology in enhancing student engagement, the necessity of including historical context in the curriculum, and expressing gratitude for the enlightening insights gained through these conversations.

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Feudal Future Podcast — Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All with Mike Shellenberger

Charlie Stephens — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 18:52:55 -0400

In this episode of the Feudal Future podcast, hosts Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky interview Mike Shellenberger, author of Apocalypse Never. Many of Mike’s views overlap with those of Joel and Marshall, and his role as an influential writer of social critique make him an insightful contributor to this conversation about issues in California, the media, and beyond.

The first topic of the conversation is Mike’s work, which will soon include a book dealing with the homeless crisis in San Francisco. This segues into broader conversation about problems in the social and political fabric of California, and Mike comments on the need to understand values and a vision for California, ways in which such things as environmentalism and housing are mishandled, the objectionable morality of how mental illness and drug addiction are managed in the state, and his vision of the sort of governor and political revolution necessary to effect the change California requires.

Next, the group turns to the subject of the mainstream media, which attempts to control popular thought and at times operates dishonestly. Mike explains his experiences with censorship, which testify to regulation of speech and information in ways that uphold political agendas at the expense of truth. Being censored is a trying experience, but Mike has noticed that his persistence in truth-telling has actually bolstered his following. Mike and his hosts consider dealing with bullies, the project of “de-civilization,” and Maoist ideology in the US.

The ideology behind the ruling social and political trends in the US is pushed by the oligarchs of the day. The group considers the rationale behind this phenomenon, the reality of an “apocalyptic mindset,” the need for love to combat hate, and the value of an ad absurdum suggestion to force people to face reality. Finally, Joel and Marshall ask Mike about what he imagines the beginning of a Biden presidential administration to look like. His answer, put simply? Chaos. But a chaos presenting hope and opportunity.

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cancel culture

Feudal Future Podcast: Navigating Cancel Culture

Feudal Future Podcast — Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All with Mike Shellenberger

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